There are only two ways to boost your sales performance. Do less wrong or do more right. From bestselling author Tim Connor comes a unique look at 91 mistakes that thousands of salespeople make every day, from losing control of the sales process to letting business go without a fight. 91 Mistakes Smart Salespeople Make offers smart, straightforward, no-holds-barred methods that will help both novice and expert sell more in less time with less rejection and disappointment. Whether readers are seasoned sales professionals or new to the field, 91 Mistakes Smart Salespeople Make is the only sales manual they need to boost profits!
Trang 1HOW TO TURN ANY MISTAKE INTO A SUCCESSFUL SALE
91
ISBN-13: 978-1-4022-0812-6 ISBN-10: 1-4022-0812-X
$10.95 U.S./$13.95 CAN Sales
successful closing time after time!
successful closing time after time!
There are only two ways to boost your sales performance:
do less wrong or do more right.
Bestselling author and sales expert Tim Connor offers a
unique look at 91 mistakes that thousands of salespeople
make every day, from losing control of the sales process to
letting business go without a fight 91 Mistakes Smart
Salespeople Make provides smart, straightforward,
no-holds-barred advice that will help both novice and expert
avoid these expensive blunders and sell more in less time—
with less rejection and disappointment.
Whether you are a seasoned sales professional or new to the
field, 91 Mistakes Smart Salespeople Make is the only sales
manual you’ll need to increase sales and boost profits!
TIM CONNOR, author of Soft Sell and nearly 60 other books, has been
a full-time speaker and trainer for over 30 years Since 1973, he has
given over 4,000 presentations in 21 countries around the world on
sales, motivation, management, supervision and relationships
Trang 2HOW TO TURN ANY MISTAKE INTO A SUCCESSFUL SALE
Trang 3Copyright © 2006 by Tim Connor, CSP
Cover and internal design © 2006 by Sourcebooks, Inc.
Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered It is sold with the understanding that the pub- lisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service.
If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent
professional person should be sought.—From a Declaration of Principles Jointly
Adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations
All brand names and product names used in this book are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders Sourcebooks, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor in this book.
Published by Sourcebooks, Inc.
P.O Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410
Trang 4The Sales Handbook
How to Sell More In Less Time
The Ancient Scrolls
Life Questions
Crossroads—A Love Story
Peace of Mind
How to Be Happy AND Successful from A–Z
The Last Goodbye
Relationship Ruts and How to Avoid Them
52 Tips for Success, Wealth, and Happiness
Trang 6Foreword: Have You Met Seymour? vii
Introduction 1
Sales Quiz 3
Index of Mistakes 13
Index of Turn-Arounds 19
Chapter One: Attitude Mistakes 27
Chapter Two: Prospecting Mistakes 93
Chapter Three: Sales Presentation Mistakes 145
Chapter Four: Handling Objections and Closing Mistakes 173
Chapter Five: Time and Territory Management Mistakes 201
Chapter Six: Record-Keeping Mistakes 219
Chapter Seven: After-Sales Service Mistakes 231
Sales Quiz Answers 251
Personal Skill and Attitude Assessment 257
Summary 269
Trang 8Are you spending too much time with a Seemore?
Do you have a lot of Seemores in your territory?Seemores come in all shades, ages, sexes, colors, andsizes They do have one thing in common, however:they never buy They waste a lot of your time and cor-porate resources, but they never give you an order.And be thankful they don’t If they did, they would still
Trang 9So, what can you do with a Seemore once you haveidentified him?
One way to treat a Seemore, when you begin to feelyou are dealing with one, is to ask him questions suchas: In addition to all of this material I have provided you,what else will be necessary to get your business? When
do you feel you will have enough information to make abuying decision? What is your decision process? What
is your timing? You have to pin Seemore down
And, once you’ve learned to identify Seemores, howcan you avoid them in the future?
One way to avoid Seemores in the future is to be
so busy and successful that you just don’t have timefor them When they ask for lots of stuff initially, youcan send it, but the next time they ask for more, come
up with some reason not to accommodate them—corporate policy, you are on the road, literature isbeing reprinted, etc Ask them if this additionalinformation is critical for a decision and why
Seemores are everywhere They take your time andenergy and generally create stress and frustration in yourcareer They often do a great job of convincing you thatthey are serious prospects Don’t buy it Sometimes the
Trang 10There are only two ways to sell more Do less wrong
or do more right Imagine the results you couldachieve if you did both
This book will help you avoid many of the costlydeal-breaking mistakes that thousands of salespeoplemake every day It will also give you techniques andstrategies to ensure that you eliminate these mistakesfrom your sales behaviors and replace them withproven approaches that, when used with confidence,skill, and consistency, will help you break your salesrecords year after year
91 Mistakes Smart Salespeople Make is not a sales
Trang 11In my previous bestsellers Soft Sell, Sales Mastery, and Your First Year in Sales, I discuss a variety of con-
cepts, principles, techniques, and attitudes that arerequired for success in selling In this book, I cut to thechase to give you the essence of what makes sellingwork—one page for each common sales mistake mostsalespeople make and the formula for turning itaround and making it work for you
The 91 mistakes are grouped by major topic areaswithin the sales process There are two ways to use orread this book: from beginning to end, learning andun-learning as you go; or going to the index and find-ing the specific mistake that you think you are makingand referring to that page
This is not a complicated process, but I highly ommend that you record your thoughts on each topic
rec-in the journal section at the end of the book If you runout of room, you can always buy a journal for a fewbucks This journal section, over time, will becomeyour most trusted resource for staying on top of thepile and avoiding sales slumps, disappointments, andlost sales
Trang 12SALES QUIZ
Write in or circle your answers before going any
further (no peeking at the back of the book!)
1 One of the biggest mistakes salespeople make is…
2 Attitude is important in sales because…
3 Product features are…
4 Product customer benefits are…
Trang 135 The close of the sale is…
6 Sales objections are…
7 Three of the most important sales skills are…
8 The number one cause of failure in sales is…
9 Rank the following in order of importance as theyrelate to sales success:
Trang 1410 Why do people buy?
11 People buy emotionally/logically and then justifytheir decision emotionally/logically
12 Your prospect will tell you about how to getthe sale
13 Rank the following in terms of most prospects’concerns:
_ Price
_ Quality
_ Service
_ Good terms _ Organization reputation _ Product/service reliability
Trang 1514 The close of the sale should start when…
15 People like to buy, but don’t like…
16 What are your three best sources of new business?
17 The value of testimonials and references is…
18 You can sell something you don’t believe in
19 When is the best time to ask a customer for areferral?
Trang 1620 If you have a good product, it will sell itself
21 The objection you will have the greatest difficultyovercoming is…
22 You shouldn’t ask for the order until you have
covered all of the product features
Trang 1726 Verbal messages are more accurate than nonverbalsignals
27 The most important element of the sales process is…
28 Once you have lost business, it is difficult to regain it
Trang 1833 You can make up for a poor prospect with a goodpresentation and/or product.
Trang 1939 Sales records are important because…
40 The number-one concern of most prospects is…
41 You can competitor-proof your relationship by…
42 If you are a good negotiator, you will close moresales
43 A prospect profile is an effective way to prospectbecause…
Trang 2044 Solving after-sales problems is considered goodcustomer service.
45 Should you plan your sales message in your office
or in the prospect’s office?
46 Every sales presentation should have a certainamount of small talk
Trang 2149 The two most important skills in selling are…
50 Anyone can learn to sell
“The biggest human temptation
is to settle for too little.”
—T HOMAS M ERTON
Trang 22INDEX OF MISTAKES
Attitude
1 Lacking Clear Focus
2 Stop Learning
3 Not Being Organized
4 Lacking Clear Purpose
5 Losing Your Excitement
6 Quitting Too Soon
7 Giving in to Self-Imposed Limitations
8 Seeing Failure as Negative
9 Trying to Do It All by Yourself
10 Lacking Gratitude
Trang 2315 Getting Discouraged
16 Lacking Self-Discipline
17 Trying to Be Someone Else
18 Lacking Honest Intent
19 Letting Your Life Slip By
20 Being out of Balance
21 Lacking Patience
22 Letting Sales Slumps Get You Down
23 Lacking Clear Goals
24 Letting Your Ego Get in the Way
25 Not Managing Your Stress
26 Lacking Confidence in Yourself
27 Living Outside-In
28 Not Managing Expectations
29 Repeating the Same Mistakes
30 Seeing Problems as Negative
31 Living in the Past or Future
Prospecting
32 Selling Only by the Numbers
33 Selling at the Wrong Level
Trang 2434 Being a Victim of Sales Cycles
35 Thinking People Buy from People They Like
36 Ignoring Past Clients
37 Staying in Your Comfort Zone
38 Letting Lost Business Go without a Fight
39 Not Routinely Networking
40 Asking, “Did You Get the Information I Sent?”
41 Being Afraid of Rejection
42 Not Practicing on Good Prospects
43 Talking Too Much
44 Losing Control of the Sales Process
45 Acting like You Need the Business
46 Not Building Trust Early
47 Not Asking Elevator Questions
48 Not Getting to the Decision-Maker
49 Not Knowing Your Competitors
50 Failing to Build Psychological Debt
51 Lacking a Precise Call-Back Approach
52 Not Asking for Referrals
53 Not Using a Prospect Profile
Trang 25Sales Presentation
55 Not Giving Tailored Presentations
56 Not Having a Concise Defining Statement
57 Selling Low Price Rather than High Value
58 Selling Features and Not Customer Benefits
59 Selling Everyone the Same
60 Not Relating to the Prospect
61 Seeing the Sale as a Transaction
62 Invalidating Prospects
63 Not Listening
64 Having a Poor Vocabulary
65 Failing to Create a Sense of Urgency
Objections and Closing
66 Not Disarming Objections Early
67 Seeing Price Objections as a Problem
68 Fearing Sales Objections
69 Projecting Your Personal Biases
70 Not Asking for the Business
71 Lacking a Closing Strategy
72 Advertising Concessions
73 Lacking a Lost-Sale Strategy
Trang 2674 Lacking Walk-Away Power
75 Negotiating When You Should Be Selling
Time and Territory Management
76 Not Using Your Time Wisely
77 Using Technology as a Crutch
78 Losing Focus
79 Not Being Prepared to Sell
80 Poor Sales Forecasting
81 Poor Territory Management
82 Spending Too Much Time on Poor Prospects
Record Keeping
83 Not Keeping Records
84 Not Evaluating Your Results
85 Not Establishing Benchmarks
86 Failing to Improve Every Day
Trang 2788 Not Watching Trends
89 Not Asking
90 Going Only for the Home Runs
91 Not Seeing Current Customers as Prospects
Trang 28INDEX OF TURN-AROUNDS
Attitudes
1 Focus on what you want, not what you don’t want
2 Invest 10 percent of your time and money in improvement
self-3 Plan everything Finish it Then move on to thenext thing
4 Decide what is important in your life and never let
it go
5 Keep the passion alive in your career and life
6 Never give up Never No matter how hard it gets
Trang 2910 Feel and show gratitude for everything
11 Be optimistic You have nothing to lose
12 Find ways to like yourself more every day
13 Believe in yourself even when no one else does
14 Always deal in the truth, no matter what
15 Remember that all things pass Just relax
16 Remember, it is better to pay the price of disciplinethan regret
17 Grow and change on your own terms, not those ofothers
18 Do what you say you are going to do
19 Start and keep a journal for your career success
20 Live the balanced life you want to live
21 Relax and enjoy the ride Anything less could killyou
22 Recognize that there will always be ups and downs
in your career
23 Spend routine time in goal-setting activities
24 Keep your ego out of the sales process
25 Recognize that your reaction to stress is entirely
up to you
26 Improve yourself every day
27 Live inside-out
Trang 3028 Let go of illusions
29 Learn from your mistakes
30 Learn from adversity
31 Stay focused in the present
36 Stay in touch with previous customers
37 Be willing to try new and creative approaches toprospecting
38 Have a specific strategy for dealing with lostbusiness
Trang 3141 Ask If you don’t, you may never receive
42 Practice new techniques on a fellow salesperson
43 The prospect should be talking at least twice asmuch as you are
44 Keep control with a planned approach
45 Keep the focus on how the customer benefits
46 Establish the prospect’s trust before you begin tosell
47 Develop several urgency-building, probing tor questions
eleva-48 Give presentations only to those who make buyingdecisions
49 Learn everything about all of your competitors
50 Create psychological debt through service
51 Have an effective follow-up strategy
52 Ask every customer and prospect for referrals
53 Use a systematic method for qualifying prospects
54 Be a business resource for all of your customers
Sales Presentation
55 Tailor each presentation to the client’s specificdesires
Trang 3256 Know exactly what to say, regardless of the stances
circum-57 Create high perceived value so price is not an issue
58 Ensure that prospects understand what is in it forthem
59 Customize your sales message and approach
60 Always come from the prospect’s perspective
61 See the sale as part of an ongoing relationship
62 Treat prospects with respect and concern
63 Hang on the prospect’s every word to ensureunderstanding
64 Know the power of words and how they contribute
to success
65 Learn the prospect’s dominant emotional buyingmotive
Objections and Closing
66 Discover potential sales resistance early
67 Never accept price as the primary objection
Trang 3370 Ask for the order
71 Have a closing methodology that works and isrepeatable
72 Address concessions only when asked
73 Know how to save lost sales before they are lost
74 Know when a prospect is not a prospect and walkaway
75 Know when to sell and when to negotiate
Time and Territory Management
76 Use your sales time wisely by planning everything
77 Don’t let technology replace the human touch
78 Learn to compartmentalize your personal life andcareer
79 Start Act Follow through
80 Blend optimism with reality when forecasting
81 See your territory as an abundant source of ness
busi-82 Use a prospect profile to decide who is worthy ofyour time
Trang 34Record Keeping
83 Spend time every day writing down vital sales facts
84 Evaluate your results weekly in order to plot bettermethods
85 Create guidelines as standards to measure yoursuccess
86 Spend time every day improving your skills andattitudes
After-Sales Service
87 When in doubt, follow up
88 Research trends that can impact your customers
89 Learn to ask for what you deserve because of yourservice
90 Establish the right mix of prospects in yourpipeline
91 Use your customers to help increase your contactsand sales
Trang 36C H A P T E R 1
ATTITUDE MISTAKES
Attitudes We all have them Some contribute to yoursales success while others sabotage your journeytowards wealth, happiness, peace, and fulfillment.When was the last time you conducted a self-attitudeaudit? When was the last time you asked yourself, “Howare my attitudes shaping my present and future?”When was the last time you asked a customer,spouse, employee, supervisor, or friend how they feelabout your attitudes? We shape our lives one day at atime, and we build our days one attitude at a time Ourdestiny is nothing more than the daily accumulation of
Trang 37exposed to on a regular basis Be careful of what youlet into your inner world as well as who and what youlet into your outer environment Take a moment rightnow to assess the people in your life and their impact
on your attitudes Evaluate where you need to makechanges in thoughts, perceptions, interpretations, andbeliefs
There is no right or wrong answer The real tion is: Are your attitudes helping you move moresmoothly and successfully along the path of life?
ques-In this first chapter we will cover many of the mon attitude mistakes that sabotage salespeople’scareer success My guess is that if you can avoid many
com-or all of the ones listed here, you will be well on yourway to setting sales records and achieving financialindependence
Trang 38“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living The world owes you nothing It was here first.”
—M ARK T WAIN
Trang 39MISTAKE #1: Lacking Clear Focus
You usually bring into your life whatever is tent with your focus You can focus either on what isnot working or what is, what you don’t have or whatyou do, what you want or what you don’t want, whatyou believe in or what you don’t There is a greatline that says, “Be careful what you ask for—youmight just get it.”
consis-One of my favorite quotes is by the late tennis greatArthur Ashe He said, “True greatness is, start whereyou are, use what you have, and do what you can.” Most sales winners are grateful for their blessings inlife and focus on what they want, have, and can do Bythe same token, most losers focus on what is missing,where they are not, and what they can’t do
Let me give you an example:
Salesperson A complains constantly Prices are toohigh Brochures are not up-to-date He doesn’t have alaptop or cellular phone His territory is too small andhas too few prospects There is inadequate internalsupport staff It’s raining… You get the picture If thistype of salesperson is doing poorly, he can find a rea-son why (other than himself)
Trang 40On the other hand, Salesperson B—a winner—learns to work with what he has He improvises, inno-vates, adjusts, compromises—whatever it takes to getthe job done with the tools he has
A key ingredient in all leaders, winners, effectivepeople, and productive and successful organizations isfocus
Turn It Around
Focus on what you want, not what you don’t want